My warrior cats story
by TheeDivcat
Summary: This is basically my made up thunderclan story...just let me know if it's good or not
1. The cats of Thunderclan

**Thunderclan:**

Leader- Crimsonstar- long furred light brown tabby tom with yellow eyes

Deputy- Flowerjump- cream colored she-cat with green eyes

apprentice- Whitepaw

Med cat- Gingersplash- ginger and white she-cat with amber eyes

apprentice- Olivepaw

**Warriors (cats that protect their clan) :**

Russetfoot- reddish brown she-cat with yellow eyes and battered ears

Addertail- dark gray tom with amber eyes

Fawnpelt- light brown she-cat with white flecks and dark brown eyes

apprentice- Cloudpaw

Viperfang- light gray tabby she-cat with a white belly and a scar that runs down her eye

apprentice- Nightpaw

Bluesky- Dark gray tom with ice blue eyes and big paws

Grayclaw- gray tabby tom with blue eyes

Silvercloud- silver she-cat with gray paws and ears and yellow eyes

apprentice- Redpaw

Icefang- long furred white tom with green eyes

apprentice- Lionpaw

Amberhawk- long furred dark brown she-cat with amber eyes

**Queens (she-cats that have kittens (kits))-**

Birchleaf- black and white she-cat with blue eyes (mother of Foxkit- ginger tom, Rosekit-black she-kit, and Dawnkit-black and white she-kit)

**Apprentices (cats training to become warriors)-**

Whitepaw- white she-cat with blue eyes

Olivepaw- gray and white tom with green eyes

Cloudpaw- silver tabby she-cat with a white belly and green eyes

Nightpaw- black she-cat with green eyes

Redpaw- tortishelle she-cat with green eyes

Lionpaw- ginger tabby tom with white paw and muzzle and amber eyes

**Elders (cat who have 'retired')-**

Willowstripe- gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes (mother of bluesky, grayclaw, and silvercloud)

Darkcloud- black tom with lighter flecks and green eyes

Sandyfoot- cream colored she-cat with yellow eyes


	2. The Beginning

**_Author's Note: This is the first story so I apologize for some potential grammar mistakes or if something doesn't make sense. The cats perspective of the story will change periodically and randomly (for instance from a certain kit's pov to a leader's pov). If you have doubts or corrections to consider, please let me know_**

**_-Div_**

* * *

The warm afternoon air breezed through the camp, making every cat want to enjoy its coolness. Leaf-bare had recently ended and Thunderclan's fresh-kill pile was thriving with squirrels and mice. The noon high patrol arrived through the entrance of the camp. Bluesky, Icefang, and his apprentice, Lionpaw, padded forward. "We saw a badger on Riverclan's territory", Icefang reported to Flowerjump, the pretty cream colored deputy, who was sharing a mouse with Gingersplash and Russetfoot. A look of concern washed over her. "How close was it to the border?" she asked the white tom. "Close enough. For all we know it could be in our territory right now", he responded, "but it was too big for us to drive away by ourselves".

Flowerjump nodded and looked around the camp. "I believe Crimsonstar is on a hunting patrol with Silvercloud and her apprentice, however once he gets back we can set up a patrol to try and get rid of the badger", she promised. Even though badgers were big and dangerous, they were also slow and stupid. Hopefully, Flowerjump thought, it wouldn't find the camp during the gathering tonight.

If it did attempt to, though, they should be ready. She decided to organize a patrol even if Crimsonstar had not arrived yet.

The cream colored deputy finished her portion of the mouse and then went over to Fawnpelt and Grayclaw. "Fawnpelt bring your apprentice Grayclaw you come along with us", she ordered. Fawnpelt stood up. "Where are we going?", she asked with suspicion. "We're going to take a look at something near the Riverclan border", Flowerjump replied to the mottled light brown she-cat. Fawnpelt nodded and spun around to see where her apprentice had run off to. "Hold on", she said, and bounded off to Cloudpaw, her apprentice who was tossing a mossball to one of Birchleaf's kits.

"Come on, Cloudpaw, we're going on a patrol near the Riverclan border", said Fawnpelt. Cloudpaw hurried over to her mentor, tail waving excitedly. "Wait can I come too?", Foxkit mewed. "No, sorry, Foxkit. Not until you're an apprentice too", Cloudpaw called back.

The two she-cats joined Flowerjump and Grayclaw. They padded for the entrance, quietly stepping out one after another.

Cloudpaw gazed up at the tops of the trees. "They're really tall", she said as the patrol continued on towards the riverclan border. Fawnpelt scolded Cloudpaw for being so loud. The prey had just begun to trust the warm afternoons of new-leaf. The cats did not want to scare it away too soon.

Flowerjump took the lead for a while and once they reached a very large dead tree, she sniffed the air. "Hmm….the badger is a little too close for comfort", she murmured. "I smell badger", Cloudpaw said, fear in her eyes. She'd only just become an apprentice, which meant that she had never been in a real battle and had never seen dangerous animals such as foxes or badgers or dogs.

Her mentor lifted her head and smelled the air. There was the scent of a badger nearby. They weren't even close to the Riverclan border yet.

"The badger's moving fast", Flowerjump realized out loud.


	3. The Planning

**_Author's Notes: I've been trying a lot to write more than what I have been. This is actually an edited version of this Chapter and so it was originally much shorter. The word documents show my chapters as much longer than they really are. I hope to aim for 3 or more word document pages filled for the next chapter _****_J_******

**_ It honestly depends on my mood for the next few days._**

**_Here are the POVs for this chapter:_**

**_Flowerjump(deputy)_**

**_Grayclaw(warrior)_**

**_Fawnpelt(warrior)_**

**_Cloudpaw(Fawnpelt's apprentice)_**

* * *

Flowerjump found herself and the patrol up in the trees, gazing down at the relatively large badger. "What drove it here? We barely even had to deal with badgers until now!", Grayclaw hissed from above Flowertail's branch. The badger slowly made its way out of their sight as it sniffed some bushes with very dark red berries.

Cloudpaw gasped. "Aren't those death berries?", she asked Fawnpelt. The white spotted she-cat narrowed her eyes at the berry bush. "They _are_ dark red", she said to Flowerjump. "Grayclaw we could give the badger some death berries", she meowed to the gray tom. Flowerjump nodded. "There is nothing in the warrior code that says we cannot kill other animals in order to protect our clan. Not cats, but other animals. Besides, I do recall Crimsonstar saying that as well", she said.

"The word of a leader is the warrior code", Grayclaw quoted.

"Alright then, Fawnpelt and Cloudpaw, you two go and follow the badger, but be quiet", their deputy ordered. "Grayclaw and I will collect the death berries".

Fawnpelt and her apprentice jumped gracefully from tree to tree, hanging on with their claws. Every once in a while Fawnpelt would ask Cloudpaw where the badger had gone. The young silver tabby would lift her head and sniff the air. "That way", she said, and pointing to a direction with her tail.

Meanwhile, Flowerjump and Grayclaw collected death berries. "Don't lick your paws before we wash the berry juice off or you could die", Flowerjump warned him. "I know", Grayclaw replied.

Flowerjump began to wonder if badgers even liked berries. Then an idea came to her.

"Grayclaw I have a plan", Flowerjump said. The gray warrior gave her a questioning glance. "Just keep the berries safe until I get back", she meowed. "Wait but then wait should we – ",

"Just wait there and don't move!", Flowerjump called back, bounding away into the bushes and disappearing for a minute.

The gray warrior sat there, dumbfounded for a while, wondering what had gotten into his deputy.

There was absolute silence for a minute or two. Grayclaw began to get worried. Then came a racket of loud shrieking and hissing.

"Flowerjump are you okay?", Grayclaw meowed, about to leap over the bushes and defend his clanmate, when the cream colored she-cat burst out with a giant rabbit in her jaws.

"We have to hunt for the clan first, Flowerjump!", Grayclaw exclaimed, surprised at her catch. "This rabbit will protect our clan if we can find a way to lure the badger away from the camp with it", Flowerjump explained. Grayclaw was immediately astonished at his deputy's wisdom.

"I know", he meowed quietly.

Flowerjump narrowed her green eyes at him, ears forward.

"Stuff it with the deathberries and feed it to the badger", said the gray warrior.

* * *

Cloudpaw leaned over to see the badger through the leaves. "He's getting so close to the camp!", she mewed in unease. Fawnpelt sat by her side. "We should warn them", she said. Cloudpaw watched the huge black and white animal lurching forward with each step, slowly moving closer to the camp.

"He might want the prey in our camp", Fawnpelt suggested. "Come on let's go to the camp to warn them", she nudged her apprentice. The young silver tabby got up but then she began to loose her balance on the branch. Panic gripped her as she lurched to one side, unable to stabilize herself again. The silver tabby frantically clawed the branch, yowling in fear.

"Cloudpaw!", Fawnpelt screeched. She desperately tried to help her apprentice up.

Cloudpaw scrabbled onto the branch but it wasn't enough to keep her up. Her claws scraped the side but her left paw slipped off. "Cloudpaw no!", she heard her mentor yowl as she fell down towards the ground.

It was a long fall, and when she hit the ground, pain shot through her back. Even when that was over, a series of waves of dull pain rocked through her body. She heard the birds chirping and the scent of badger was strong, but none of that mattered compared to the pain she felt. It throbbed now in her side.

Suddenly she smelled the badger getting closer. It had seen or heard her and now was staggering towards her. Cloudpaw was helpless and couldn't even move her head up.


	4. The hunt

Flowerjump stayed crouched behind a tree root that jutted out of the ground. Behind the tree root, a squirrel nibbled on an acorn, completely aloof about the predator watching behind the large root. Flowerjump leaned back a bit and kept her hind legs bunched up and her front legs tensed. She waited for the moment that the squirrel turned her way so that when she pounced, it would take longer to spin around and run off.

When that moment came, Flowerjump adjusted her rear to get the angle right, and then pounced from her spot. Her claws unsheathed and found their way to the squirrel's flank.

A gray tabby tom stepped out from the bush to the side and purred. "Good catch", he complimented. Flowerjump purred. "Thanks!". Flowerjump and Grayclaw bounded back to the berries. They cut open the squirrel and carefully placed each berry in a different place.

"Let's go follow Fawnpelt and Cloudpaw's scent and then we'll give the badger his special treat", Grayclaw meowed. Fawnpelt nodded in agreement and the two climbed a tree and then began to follow their clanmate's scent.

Gingersplash stepped out from the shadows of the medicine den. She was glad to finally be in the light after spending from sunrise to sun high treating Darkcloud's itchy pelt with water and checking him for ticks. Gingersplash padded towards the only queen in thunderclan, Birchleaf, the pretty black and white she-cat, who was scolding Dawnkit for pushing Rosekit into a rock.

Then she noticed a sense of unease between the cats in the clearing. Gingersplash hurried to Birchleaf. "Hi, Gingersplash", the queen mewed cheerfully. "Hi, Birchleaf! Something's wrong here isn't it?", the medicine cat said. The cheerful look on the black and white she-cat's face disappeared. "A patrol went out to search for the badger but they haven't come back in a while. It was the deputy, Grayclaw, Fawnpelt, and Cloudpaw. There's a gathering tonight too and we have to make sure everyone is back before Crimsonstar chooses who's going", she explained.

Gingersplash stayed there, stunned for a moment. "A badger?". Birchleaf nodded. "A badger".

Suddenly Foxkit pounced on Gingersplash's tail. "Can I come with you guys to fight off the badger?", he asked, giving a fierce lash with his tiny tail. Gingersplash purred in amusment and carefully removed him from her tail. "No, young one. You must stay and help protect the camp from other things while more experienced warriors deal with the badger", she said softly to the ginger kit. Foxkit's face fell. "Awww but I want to help!", he pouted.

Birchleaf chuckled and pulled her kit close to her. "In a few moons, maybe, but not now".

Fawnpelt saw the badger moving towards her apprentice and suddenly felt a surge of anger. "That's my clanmate you fox-brain!", she roared. Fawnpelt lashed her tail and jumped to some lower branches before jumping down towards the badger. Her claws outstretched and unsheathed, she flew at the bulk of black and white fur beneath her.

Fawnpelt landed on it's back and immediately began to shred its fur. Suddenly the badger gave a ferocious snarl and spun around, flinging Fawnpelt into a tree nearby. She slumped to the ground and gasped in pain and shock, but there was no time for that.

The badger snarled and lurched forward towards Cloudpaw's injured figure. Shakily, Fawnpelt got up and hissed at the badger. It turned to look at her and grumbled.

"Come on you filthy mange-pelt", she taunted. "Come and get me"


	5. Safe

Cloudpaw drifted into a whirl of dizziness. Suddenly all she could see was a dark red. Her breath became short and she fought to wake up. The pain throbbed through her body over and over again. Dizziness drowned her again and again until she finally woke up.

This wasn't thunderclan, though. Cloudpaw saw long green grass that shone in the sun and a meadow nearby. A big willow tree stood behind her. Cloudpaw didn't recognize this place.

"Don't be afraid, young one", said a voice behind her. The silver tabby spun around to see a pale gray she-cat with deep blue eyes and stars in her fur.

"I – I'm in Starclan!", Cloudpaw stammered. "No, Cloudpaw. This is not your time. Another time you will come here, but you must wake up now", said the warm pale gray she-cat with stars in her fur. "Good-bye, young one. I hope we can see each other again when your time is right", she meowed.

"No! Wait!", Cloudpaw protested as both the pale gray she-cat and the meadow began to fade.

Suddenly there was her mother, Birdtalon. Her dark gray face and pretty yellow eyes looked into Cloudpaw's own eyes. "Well she'll wake up soon. Most definitely", said Birdtalon. Wait, Cloudpaw thought. Birdtalon is dead…right? "I think she fell from a tree. Her mentor is missing but the rest of the patrol came back", her mother said to some cat. Mentor? Did she mean Fawnpelt?

That's when Cloudpaw's eyes blinked open and her mother's face was replaced with Gingersplash's. The ginger and white she-cat suddenly bounced up. "She's awake!", she yowled.

Cloudpaw realized that she was back at the Thunderclan camp. "Huh? Wha?", she groaned as she tried to get up, then discovered a pain in her back and immediately lay back down. Gingersplash gave her a curious look. "Hmm your back hurts doesn't it?", she observed. The medicine cat padded away further into the den and began to mutter.

Cloudpaw only heard her say, "must be these ones", "poppy seeds", "Pineleaf died when I was still learning", and "oh yes it is poppy seeds – right?". Then the energetic ginger and white she-cat approached Cloudpaw. "You just have three of these okay?", her white paw stretched out to Cloudpaw with several tiny black seeds on it.

"Just three okay? And when you wake up have one more", she meowed. Cloudpaw reached over and licked three of the tiny black seeds. She swallowed them and looked up at Gingersplash. "Thank you", she said. "Now go to sleep and I'll take care of you if you need me to okay?" Cloudpaw nodded. "Okay".

Fawnpelt gasped as she raced towards the shadowclan border, the badger still keeping up with her. She spotted a good tree and began to jump up to the first branch when suddenly huge paws swiped her back and she fell to the ground, writhing in pain.

The badger above her snarled and lunged for her leg. It bit down on her front leg hard. She desperately clawed its head but it held on with crushing force.

Suddenly, there were several yowls and the intense grip that the badger held on her leg disappeared, a dull, throbbing pain took its place. Through Fawnpelt's half closed eyes, she could just barely make out some of her clanmates fighting off the badger.

Her eyes closed and all that she thought of was what happened to Cloudpaw._ Cloudpaw!_

Crimsonstar stood on the edge of highrock. "All cats who can catch their own prey join here beneath highrock for a clan meeting!", he yowled.

The cats gathered underneath of the large rock. Redpaw repeatedly glanced at the medicine den where her sister lay wounded. She felt bad for Cloudpaw, and hoped that Birdtalon was watching over her tonight. Redpaw noticed her other sister, Nightpaw, also looked worried for Cloudpaw. They both hoped that the badger would die for what it did to their clanmates.

Crimsonstar's booming voice interrupted Redpaw's thoughts as he began to list the cats who would be going to the gathering.

"Many of you have proved yourselves as loyal warriors this past moon, including Cloudpaw who bravely protected the clan from a badger today".

Foxkit and Rosekit kept bouncing up and down, mewling "Me me! I wanna go with them!"

Nightpaw leaned towards Redpaw and muttered, "I thought he said 'all cats who can _catch their own prey_'".

Redpaw let out a purr in amusement. "They're just kits", she whispered back. "We were like that too".

"So I have carefully chosen who will go to the gathering tonight", Crimsonstar continued.

The cats silenced at this, eagerly waiting for their own names to be called.

"Flowerjump, Olivepaw, Adderfoot, Viperfang, Nightpaw, Grayclaw, Icefang, Lionpaw, Whitepaw, and Amberhawk".


	6. The Gathering

Flowerjump found herself trotting alongside her clanmates in the dark. Her plan to kill the badger didn't work out, she thought sorrowfully. She and Grayclaw took the death berry-filled squirrel as far as Fawnpelt and Cloudpaw's scents took them until they found the silver tabby apprentice lying on the forest floor, not able to wake up.

Fawnpelt's scent drifted further in the direction of Shadowclan's territory. So did the badgers'. Flowerjump remembered racing to the camp for help, and she brought Bluesky, Viperfang, and Amberhawk to the badger to fight it off.

Viperfang nudged Flowerjump, pulling her out of her thoughts. "You know you should stay focused and watch your step here". Flowerjump stopped and looked straight.

_Ah, yes. The boulders._

Flowerjump thanked Viperfang and the gray tabby motioned with her tail. "You first, deputy".

Flowerjump nodded and made her way through the boulders. "We're almost there", Crimsonstar called back from the front of the cats.

A few moments later, they came to the clearing. The cats filed into the open space and sat next to their only clan ally, Shadowclan. Flowerjump raised her head to look over the clearing. There was the friendly Cherryfur from Windclan. Flowerjump padded for her friend and sat down. "Hello Cherryfur", she meowed to the russet colored she-cat. Cherryfur purred back. "Long time no seen, Flowerjump! How's life as the thunderclan deputy?", she said.

"It's not too bad. You get to organize patrols and keep watch over the clan when Crimsonstar's not there", Flowerjump replied. Cherryfur nodded. "Our deputy, Ferretclaw is sick now", Cherryfur mewed. She pointed to a skinny brown she-cat sitting by herself in the back. "I hope she gets better", Flowerjump said, not quite meaning it.

Thunderclan's leader stepped up onto the middle stone where all leaders sit during gatherings.

Flowerjump and Cherryfur silenced once Windclan's leader spoke. "You're late, Snowstar", Hollystar hissed. Flowerjump turned her head to see Snowstar, the pretty white Riverclan leader, bounding forward with her clan behind her. Riverclan filed in and the clearing was filled.

"We may begin", Snowstar mewed as she gracefully jumped up onto the middle stone. Hollystar growled, then pointed her tail to Shadowclan's leader. "Begin, Owlstar", she said.

Owlstar spoke, "Prey is flourishing in my territory. There has been a slight problem, though".

The dark gray leader shuffled uncomfortably. "Some of our warriors have been captured by twolegs and taken away inside of a monster", he meowed. There was a sorrowful tone to his voice. "Including my deputy, Doveflight".

Flowerjump heard Cherryfur gasp. "Doveflight was Owlstar's mate", the russet warrior whispered. _Was_, Flowerjump thought. Now Doveflight was with a bunch of twolegs, who knows where. She didn't feel too sad, though. Grief for another clan caused weakness.

Shadowclan was more vulnerable now that all clans knew they had lots good warriors.

"So I have chosen a new deputy", Owlstar announced. "Welcome Roseclaw". A pretty tortishelle she-cat with a white ear stepped forward and bowed her head shyly. A few cats chanted her name, but were silenced by the lash of Hollystar's tail.

"Thank you Owlstar, I think I'll go now", she began. "Windclan is thriving with prey now that leaf-bare is over". There was a pause, then, "Our queen, Emberfur, has given birth to four kits recently and they are very healthy", the gray and white she-cat bragged. "And we now have two new warriors".

Two small, but proud toms stepped up. Hollystar introduced the brown tabby as Reedclaw and the ginger one as Brakenfoot.

Next went Snowstar, who talked about a fox that her clan drove out and the death of a kit, and then she mentioned one new apprentice, Cloverpaw.

Finally, Crimsonstar spoke. "We have three new apprentices, Redpaw, Nightpaw, and Cloudpaw", he began. Redpaw and Nightpaw stepped up. "Where's Cloudpaw?", a cat asked.

Crimsonstar silenced the cat with his tail. "Cloudpaw has been injured today while helping Fawnpelt, Grayclaw, and Flowerjump chase out a badger from our territory", he announced. A few cats from the crowd gasped. "A badger?", Cherryfur whispered. "You chased a badger and you didn't tell me?", she meowed. Flowerjump purred. "The gathering started too soon", she said. Cherryfur snorted. "Lucky. We haven't had anything to chase for many moons".

The gathering ended with Crimsonstar announcing that Thunderclan was thriving with fresh kill and that the kits were healthy.

Then Flowerjump and Cherryfur parted away and padded to their own clans.

The truce had ended and the clans separated towards their own territories.


	7. The cats of Shadowclan

Leader- Owlstar- dark gray tom with green eyes

Deputy- Roseclaw- tortishelle she-cat with one white ear and blue eyes

Medicine cat- Yarrowpelt- cream colored tom with amber eyes

**Warriors-**

Heatherstripe- dark ginger tabby she-cat with yellow eyes

apprentice- Bazilpaw

Ivyfoot- dark gray she-cat with white paws and blue eyes

Hawkbeak- dark brown tom with green eyes

Featherwing- White she-cat with gray specks and yellow eyes

Silverclaw- gray tom with blue eyes

apprentice- Greenpaw

Vinecloud- calico she-cat with pretty blue eyes

**Queens-**

Bluecloud- blue/gray she-cat with darker flecks and amber eyes (mother of Shadowkit- gray she-kit, and Pumpkinkit- ginger she-kit)

**Apprentices-**

Bazilpaw- cream and white she-cat with green eyes

Greenpaw- light gray tabby she-cat with dark green eyes

**Elders-**

Pinefur- dark brown tom with yellow eyes

**Missing cats (cats that got captured by the twolegs)-**

Doveflight- light gray and white she-cat with blue eyes

Grassfall- light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Brownpaw- dark brown tom with amber eyes

Sparrowpaw- brown and white she-cat with yellow eyes

_**Author's notes: **__I know it may seem like from the original warriors series where thunderclan cats get caught, but it's like the pound that is capturing them so there's a lot of cats in the same area that get spotted and captured…..yeah…well I try my best not to make my story seem like the original series plz forgive me if it does _

_ -Div_


	8. Back to Thunderclan nightpaw's pov

Nightpaw finally returned to the camp, taking the rear of the single file line. Lionpaw and Olivepaw were the only other apprentices who had gone to the gathering with her. That hadn't been very fun since all Olivepaw ever talked about was how great it was to mix herbs and Lionpaw wasn't much better.

Redpaw bounded right up to Nightpaw as soon as she came through the entrance. "How was it? Who did you talk to? What did Hollystar say?", Nightpaw's tortishelle littermate questioned.

"It was good. I talked to some of the shadowclan apprentices. No Adderpaw wasn't there, why do you ask? Hollystar was the normal grumpy and bossy Windclan leader you'll always know", Nightpaw explained.

"Good because Cloudpaw really wanted to know what went on tonight. Had she not fallen out of that tree, you know she'd have been in the gathering too", Redpaw meowed.

Nightpaw nodded. "She's doing better, you know. The fall wasn't that bad, or so Gingersplash said", Redpaw said, with hope in her voice.

_I'd better check on Cloudpaw, _Nightpaw thought. She dodged her talkative tortishelle sister and moved towards the medicine den.

Suddenly a blurr of black fur whizzed by Nightpaw and rammed into her foot. Nightpaw stepped back, lost her balance, and then found her body leaning to the side before ending up on the ground.

"Mouse-brained kit!", she grumbled as Rosekit zoomed by her. The black she-kit froze in her tracks and swerved around. She ran up to Nightpaw. "Are you okay Nightpaw? I didn't mean to!", she mewed. Nightpaw got up and licked her scratched shoulder. "It's okay, Rosekit. I don't hurt.", she replied. The black kit's pretty amber eyes relaxed and she purred. "Okay bye, Nightpaw!", and Rosekit took off, bounding for her brother and slamming into him.

"Kits, they never watch where they're going", purred a voice from inside of the medicine den.

Nightpaw cocked her head to the side and then gasped as her sister stepped out of the shadows. "Cloudpaw you're okay!", she laughed. Cloudpaw limped forward and winced. "Not quite but I'm not going to die", the silver she-cat admitted. She seemed very tired from the shock and the pain.

_Is that limp permanent?_, Nightpaw wondered. She didn't bother to ask, though. It wasn't the time to. "Cloudpaw get back in here you aren't allowed to walk too much until that dreadful limp goes away!", Gingersplash's voice ordered from inside of the medicine den.

Cloudpaw gave Nightpaw a bitter smile before limping back into the den. _Gingersplash must be one of the best medicine cats for healing Cloudpaw so quickly,_ Nightpaw thought.

_**Author's Notes:**__ I keep spelling 'tortishelle' wrong…..augh stupid red squiggly! _


	9. The Healing

The brilliant sun shone through the cracks in roof of the medicine den, blinding Cloudpaw for a moment before she moved out of the way. "Oh is that bothering you? I'll have it fixed soon so that it isn't too bright during the day", Gingersplash meowed somewhere in the back of the den. Cloudpaw groaned when she felt the soreness of both her front and back leg throbbing again.

Cloudpaw groaned in annoyance at that throb. She looked about the medicine den to keep her mind off of it. To the silver tabby's right, there was a storage of yellow and orange flowers. She figured it was marigold. Beside the flowers lay a big leaf with a small pile of poppy seeds. Behind those were a big rock and a small cave beneath it, which held a puddle of clear water. Every now and then, Cloudpaw observed, a drop of water fell into the puddle from a crack in the ceiling.

"There's moss up there", Gingersplash's voice explained. Cloudpaw turned her head to see the ginger and white she-cat looking at the crack in the ceiling. "It holds onto the water from the past few rains. When a cat is unable to get up, we collect water from the puddle and give it to the sick or injured cat", Gingersplash explained. Cloudpaw nodded.

"If you want I could make a poultice for those scratches on your legs", the medicine cat mewed. "If it helps", Cloudpaw replied. _I hope it does. _

"Let's see what's best for healing infections", Gingersplash said. The ginger and white cat began to mumble, fumbling around with some herbs and grabbing a few here and there.

"Burdock root…..pah…dock! Ah wonderful I finally found it….goldenrod perhaps…ah no…..marigold! Yes yes yes I've got it! Wait there little one I will make you a poultice!", Gingersplash blabbered on.

Cloudpaw had heard the story about the former medicine cat, Sunfur. He had gone missing some moons ago, and just before Cloudpaw had been born, he was found once again, dead, with the horrible scent of rouge lingering on him.

He was Gingersplash's mentor, and it saddened her greatly. Cloudpaw wondered if this was why Gingersplash often talked to herself, muttered too much, appeared so joyful all of the time. She wondered if it was all a substitute for her lost mentor. Cloudpaw's mother told her that Gingersplash was just a 'paw when Sunfur had been found murdered.

"Well, well here we are and you're poultice is ready", Gingersplash interrupted Cloudpaw's thoughts.

"Now just keep it on your leg and don't move it too much", she ordered. "I'll make you two more if you need them".

The silver tabby apprentice waited patiently as Gingersplash carefully applied the mesh of herbs to her battered leg.

Cloudpaw thanked her medicine cat and Gingersplash replied with a nod. "Now go to sleep young one, and don't fret about your leg to much", she whispered. Cloudpaw purred. "I won't, Gingersplash".

The ginger and white she-cat slipped off into the back of the den where her own nest lay, hoping that her sleep wouldn't be interrupted by an injured or sick clanmate.

Suddenly the face of Sunfur appeared in her head and she yelped. _Get it out! Get it out!_

The image of the horrible claw marks on his shoulder. Gingersplash shut her eyes. _Marigold is for infections, comfrey for broken bones, borage leaves for fever and –_ the image of his body lying in the open clearing, bloodied and battered. _Catmint is for greencough, tansy is for coughs too, deathberries are for DEATH…..no! _

**Gingerpaw giggled as Amberpaw, yet again attempted to catch a squirrel, only to land on her face. "You know it would be a lot easier if you only had to mix herbs", Gingerpaw purred. "Easy for you to say, you never will be in the heat of a battle", Amberpaw said.**

** "But I will be helping your wounds after you get scratched by other warriors", Gingerpaw protested. "It's not the same", Amberpaw meowed. **

** Suddenly a scent caught Gingerpaw's nose. It was so familiar, but a sticky, sour scent mixed with it. It made Gingerpaw uneasy and cautious. **

** "Amberpaw wait here and don't follow me unless I want you to", Gingerpaw said, slowly stepping through the tall grass. "Do you want me to?", Amberpaw called back, confused. **

** There was a long pause. "No", Gingerpaw meowed.**

**She had to investigate this on her own.**

** The small ginger and white apprentice bravely stepped through the tall grass one step at a time, even though the voice in her head told her to run back. **

** Then the trees parted and the long grass got shorter. Gingerpaw gasped. She narrowed her eyes to make sure that she was seeing it right. "Sunfur?", she whispered. **_**He came back! But why is he sleeping there?**_

__**Gingerpaw sniffed the air and flinched. The sour, sticky smell hung thicker in the air here than back with Amberpaw. **

** "Sunfur are you alright?", she yowled to her mentor as she ran to wake him up. **

Gingersplash yowled as she woke up. She looked around frantically. The clearing! The Gingersplash quickly gathered herself together and silently padded through the den, being careful not to wake up the pretty silver tabby apprentice.

The dawn patrol had already set out for the morning. No other cat was awake, though, except for Bluesky, who was guarding the entrance to the camp. Gingersplash headed for the entrance. "Where are you going, Gingersplash?", the dark warrior questioned her. "I'm going to take a walk, is that illegal?", she asked.

"No, but be careful", a slight look in his eye told her that he was referring to Sunfur. The rouge that had killed him had never been caught. Gingersplash sighed. "I'll be quick", she told him.

The ginger and white medicine cat hurried along through the dense woods. She had not been outside the camp in a moon and the brush was getting thicker by the day.

The gray sky began to get bluer as she wandered further into the woods. A sharp pang shot through her as she passed the spot where she and Amberpaw, or Amberhawk, used to hunt secretly, never following the warrior code. Back then they didn't think to help the elders or the kits before they were punished, forced to use mouse bile to clean out the elder's ticks.

The faraway sounds of young Amberpaw and young Gingerpaw giggling faded into the background.

Gingersplash sighed and hurried along, racing through the trees, passing the tree where Amberpaw had failed to catch that squirrel, past the tall grass, and into the clearing.

The sun burst into bright

The Clearing.


End file.
